The Ultimate Guide To Useful Pregnancy Resources By Trimester For Moms
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Welcome, mama!
I was SO happy to find out I was pregnant and I’m sure you’re beaming with excitement right now! 🙂
It didn’t take me long to realize, however, that there is A LOT TO DO when you’re pregnant!
I feel there are really 4 categories in the process of becoming a mom:
✿ Having a healthy pregnancy.
✿ Getting ready for your baby.
✿ Labor and delivery.
✿ Taking care of yourself postpartum.
So with these areas in mind, I’ve created the ultimate list of helpful pregnancy resources for new moms – broken down by trimester so you can find the best resources depending on where you are in your pregnancy.
It’s so nice to have everything in one place and I think you’ll like having the list too!
I’ll also be adding more awesome pregnancy resources as I discover them. 🙂
Enjoy mamas!
Pin this post so you can refer back to it! 🙂
Your Guide to Pregnancy Resources for Moms
Pregnancy Must-Haves for the First Trimester (Weeks 1 to 12)
PRENATAL VITAMINSÂ
- I love this prenatal vitamin (used it during both of my pregnancies)
- My second choice is here (one I think is also really good if you want something to compare to 🙂 )
FOLIC ACID
It’s recommended to take folic acid when trying to conceive and the first weeks of pregnancy. (source)
- You can use this folic acid supplement
CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTÂ
Calcium is important on so many levels to the development of your baby. If you suspect you aren’t getting enough then add in a supplement to help.
- You can use this calcium supplement
MORNING SICKNESS HELP
- We love preggy pops to help ease morning sickness
- Try Pink Stork’s Morning Sickness teas – they are wonderful!
- Stay hydrated – sipping water throughout the day can help reduce nausea. We love this water bottle – it’s smart to take your water on the go when you’re pregnant.
HEALTHY PREGNANCY DIET
Pregnancy can be overwhelming enough without having to overthink every meal that makes it onto your plate. Yes, mama, you NEED to eat healthy but there are resources to help guide you.
Here are the favorites:
- The Whole 9 Months (an awesome week by week nutrition guide – includes recipes – ideal for mamas who have no clue where to start)
- Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition (ideal for mamas who want to know WHY to eat certain foods and avoid others – a must-read, to be honest!)
- Our post: 20 Foods You Should Avoid Now That You’re Pregnant (a good baseline of where to start with pregnancy nutrition)
MUST HAVE WATER BOTTLE FOR ON THE GO
Here are best choice for a water bottle that’s easy to take with you!
- Contigo Autoseal Water Bottle – made from stainless steel means there’s no yucky things in the bottle that you need to worry about and the fact it auto seals means you won’t spill while on the go! (Clumsiness is REAL during pregnancy, mama!)
MATERNITY CLOTHING
STRETCH MARK REMEDIESÂ
You should start using items that can help prevent or lessen stretch marks during the first trimester. Your hips are widening and your belly is growing so stretched skin has begun. Here are our recommended stretch mark resources.
- Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks by The Spoiled Mama (Toxin-free which means it’s safe for you and your baby!)
- Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (yes, you read that right – I used it and have NO stretch marks on my belly!)
WEEK BY WEEK PREGNANCY PROPSÂ
If you want to take weekly photos of your bump and display a cute banner noting which week you’re on here are our top pics:
- Baby Milestone Stickers – ideal for the minimalist mama.
- Pregnancy Milestone Stickers – pretty and feminine with more details.
Pregnancy Must-Haves for the Second Trimester (Weeks 13 to 26)
PREGNANCY SLEEPING PILLOWS
Goodness knows you’re going to have a challenge getting good, restful sleep when you’re pregnant. Between the pain, insomnia (yes, nature’s joke on pregnant women, sigh), and making sure you sleep on your side, you need some advice on the best pregnancy sleep support products.
Here are our picks:
- Pregnancy Wedge Pillows – we LOVE these wedge pillows and highly recommend you buy two of them. One is to support your belly, the other is to wedge behind you to stop yourself from moving onto your back.
- Orthopedic Knee Support Pillow – not many pregnant women get away with no back, sciatica or hip pain during pregnancy. The recommendation to help yourself is to place a pillow between your knees for added support. This pillow does the job the best, no questions asked.
We don’t recommend those big pregnancy sleep pillows if you have a bed smaller than a king and you want your partner to be comfortable. We also didn’t find them THAT comfortable. Some women do, we just haven’t met them yet.
Because there’s no doubt now that you’re pregnant! Carrying around a growing belly is hard on your pelvic floor, back, hips, and joints. So, basically, your body.
Here’s what we recommend to help:
- Maternity Support Belt – carrying around the extra belly weight doesn’t have to hurt. Grab a belt and help out your pelvic floor and hips. Trust us, this will help.
PRENATAL COURSES
We live in a time where you don’t actually have to visit your local hospital or other location to learn and prepare for childbirth. We’ve collected our favorite baby courses into one resource so that you can check them out.
- The Birth It Up Courses – these are the most affordable courses out there, mama! And, they give you choices (we love choices!). You can take a course if you know you’re going to get an epidural or you can choose the natural birth course if that makes sense to you. (PLUS GET 10% OFF ANY COURSE USING COUPON CODE MOMBLOGLIFE)Â Natural course is here. Epidural course is here.
- The Online Prenatal Course for Couples – perfect for couples who want a hospital birth and need answers to their questions and fears (my husband and I took the course and LOVED it).
- Mama Natural Birthing Course – for all my natural birth mamas out there – I took the course and have to say it almost got me excited to birth my second daughter naturally!
BABY REGISTRY
- Amazon’s Baby Registry – Amazon is well known and trusted by most people PLUS buying and sending gifts is easy peasy for your family and friends. (They also give you a welcome box, a 10% completion discount, the ability to add ANYTHING from other sites, a 90-day return policy, and group gifting – so, basically, you should register with them because they do all the things). For a full list of baby essentials look here.
HELP FOR PREGNANCY SWELLING
Another wonderful part of pregnancy is swelling – it occurs in your face, hands, legs, ankles, and feet.
Here’s what you can do to help:
- Sit with your legs elevated.
- Wear comfortable shoes (retire those heels until after pregnancy, mama!)
- Wear compression socks for support.
- Drink water.
- Avoid salty foods.
Pregnancy Must-Haves for the Third Trimester (Weeks 27 to 40)
BREASTFEEDING HELP
Breastfeeding might be nature’s way but it’s seldom very natural. There are a lot of variables that go into breastfeeding successfully so we wanted to share our favorite resources to help you get started the right way.
- Milkology – the ultimate breastfeeding course for mama’s who want to get things started on the right foot.
- Pumping at Work – it’s inevitable that if you breastfeed and return to work, you’ll have to pump while you’re there. This course gives you all the info you need to be successful.
- Exclusive Pumping – sometimes a mama decides that exclusively pumping is the way to go (I did it myself!). This course arms you with what you need to know.
BREASTFEEDING ITEMS
Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing – these items make life easier.
- Ameda Breast Pump – our choice for an electric breast pump.
- Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump – a must-have for any breastfeeding mom – game changer!
- Nipple Cream – no brainer.
- Best breastfeeding pillow – comfortable for you and baby.
BABY KEEPSAKE BOX
Not going to lie – we aren’t fans of the traditional baby keepsake books.
We’re sure you got one at your shower but, to be honest, it’s likely going to collect dust on a shelf once you see how busy mom life is.
That’s why we love baby keepsake boxes – you can throw everything in them that you want to remember and they’re just as fun to look through. (this one is our FAV).
MATERNITY PHOTOSHOOT DRESSES
Yes, that’s right – no pregnancy must-haves post would be complete without us sharing the dresses we LOVE for maternity photos. 🙂
- Split Front Maxi Dress – for mamas who want to show off that bump.
- Ruched Long Sleeved Dress – for your cooler weather photoshoot.
- Elegant Off Shoulder Dress – our absolute fav.
MEAL PLANNING
Becoming a mom is a total life shift (duh, right?) so we wanted to bring up the whole meal planning thing. While it’s not a new concept, it is pretty sanity-saving after you deliver your baby.
If the idea of even doing the meal planning sucks in your world, we can’t recommend TheDailyDinner.com – they’re pretty awesome sauce!
HOME BIRTH ESSENTIALS
Thinking about birthing at home?
Here’s a list of essentials you’ll need:
- Old washcloths.
- Old, clean towels.
- Two stainless steel basins for the afterbirth.
- A plastic mattress cover.
- As many pillows as you need to be comfortable (place garbage bags over them and then old pillowcases so they’re soft).
- Old blankets to keep you warm.
- Painkillers.
- Newborn baby hat.
- Newborn baby clothes.
- Diapers.
- Baby blankets.
Must Haves for the Fourth Trimester (Postpartum)
Here is a quick list of things that are a must during postpartum recovery.
- Heavy maxi pads (these will work perfectly).
- Underwear you don’t care about.
- A peri bottle (the hospital should send you home with one but just in case here’s our favorite – yes we have a fav peri bottle).
- Something to protect your mattress when you sleep.
- Stool softeners.
- Advil to help with the pain.
- Over the toilet sitz bath (if you don’t want to use your tub).
- Sitz bath ingredients (this one is already put together for you).
- Padsicles (a pad with organic aloe vera gel and alcohol-free witch hazel that has been cooled).
- Comfy clothes!
- Nursing bras.
- Breast pillow.
- Breast pump
- Lactation cookies.
Have those things in order and you’ve given yourself a good start to your postpartum recovery.
Here’s a link to the Postpartum Recovery Plan for more details about how to recover from childbirth.